FUGITIVE financier Low Taek Jho, when making his statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the end of 2015, denied having control over SRC International or Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts.

The statement was tendered to court today as evidence via defence witness MACC officer Ting Ing Ping, who took the stand at the SRC International trial today.

Najib faces seven criminal charges for receiving RM42 million in public funds into his AmBank accounts in 2014 and 2015.

Low, commonly known as Jho Low, was interviewed by the MACC on November 27, 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, months after news broke in mid-2015 that US$681 million (US$2.6 billion) of 1Malaysia Development Bhd-lined funds made its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

The 26-page statement is a series of denials by Low regarding his questions over his influence and familiarity with 1MDB-linked figures.

While he admitted knowing Najib, he said he did not have any influence over others, and that he merely offered his views to the former prime minister regarding 1MDB and SRC International.

“From what I can recall, the prime minister may have discussed 1MDB and SRC with me. The prime minister may have asked for my views, but like any other Malaysians, I will offer my views, but I have no decision making authority, and I do not make any decisions for others on matters that I am not empowered to do so.”

Low also denied having authorisation of access to Najib’s five current AmBank accounts from 2011 to 2015, three of which were the subject of the SRC International trial.

He also denied managing the spending or payment of Najib’s credit cards, which were used for a purchase of luxury items at a Chanel store in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2014.

“I don’t have authorisation or access to these accounts. I don’t know how many credit cards the prime minister has at Ambank, and I am not mandated to manage his spending.

“To the best of my recollection, I don’t know about the payment of his credit card and also the source of income into the accounts.

“To the best of my recollection, I also don’t know if 1MDB/SRC’s monies were deposited into the accounts.”

When shown phone chat messages with AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu, who was tasked with handling Najib’s and SRC International’s accounts, Low denied 76 times recalling such messages: “To the best of my recollection, I do not recall such a conversation, and neither do I understand the context of the messages.”

“I therefore do not admit that these messages are from me.”

Low also said he does not believe that Najib’s mandate holder SRC International CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil managed the former prime minister’s account.

Yu had previously testified that she was instructed by Nik Faisal and Low regarding Najib’s accounts, including instructions to top up accounts to prevent cheques from bouncing.

The trial before justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali continues. – March 3, 2020.